This invention relates to lottery systems for conducting lottery games and, more particularly, to lottery systems incorporating methods for paying out large progressive and non-progressive jackpot awards.
Various lottery systems incorporating methods for paying out jackpots for large progressive and non-progressive jackpots to lottery players have been previously described. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,032 to Grippo discloses a lottery game including two or more different denominational levels for game tickets, i.e., two or more groups of tickets with tickets in each group being priced differently from tickets in the other group. All tickets in any one group are priced identically to one another. Wagers received from each ticket group are placed in a corresponding jackpot pool according to the denominational level or amount of the tickets sold for that pool. All wagers for each denomination are processed by a single controlling authority, with wagers being distributed to each separate pool according to the corresponding wager denomination. Thus, the game provides a series of different and separate jackpot pools corresponding to each ticket price or denominational level. Jackpots or prizes are awarded from each pool to the winning bettor holding a ticket corresponding to that denominational level and jackpot. Alternatively, the pools may be combined and divided in accordance with the total amount of each wager denominational level group. The game may run for a predetermined amount period of time, or to a predetermined date, or through the sales of a predetermined number of tickets in a given denominational group or groups, as desired. Prizes (e.g., automobiles, etc.) may be awarded in addition to money, at the higher or highest denominational levels. A percentage of each pool, or of the combined total, may be retained by the operating authorities for overhead, charitable or government use, etc., if so desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,441 to Ilan discloses a pyramid game randomly that assigns integers to players of the game, and arranges the player positions corresponding to those integers in a pyramidal hierarchy having a geometric progression of the powers of two, from a single number at the apex to multiple numbers in a base row. Provision is made for redistribution of player positions forming only a fraction of a row, proportionately to other rows to ensure that the base row or level contains no more than half of the total player positions. The integers of the player positions are arranged in numerical order, with the highest number at the apex and other numbers distributed to the remaining player positions in descending order. Alternatively, an apex number may be randomly selected, with the remaining lower numbers positioned in descending order therebelow and any higher numbers positioned following the lower numbers. Numbers corresponding to the lowermost row or level in the pyramidal hierarchy receive no payoff, with numbers in higher levels receiving increasing amounts; all positions in a given level receive equal amounts. Thus, a player knowing the high and low limiting numbers of the game and who randomly receives a number in the set, will quickly have at least some idea of a possible payoff according to the relative position of his/her number in the set. The lottery game is adaptable to large numbers of players in a lottery system, and may be played electronically and/or using printed lottery tickets or the like.